


Trouble And The Riv

by dsa_archivist



Category: due South
Genre: Drama, Gen, Humor, Series: The Trio Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-04-25
Updated: 1999-04-25
Packaged: 2018-11-11 06:31:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11142813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsa_archivist/pseuds/dsa_archivist
Summary: Ray, Fraser and Meg are trapped in the Riv with a Twister.





	Trouble And The Riv

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

Trouble And The Riv

 

 

This is "Trouble And The Riv", the second story to The Trio  
Series. Actually, the first piece of DS fiction that I ever archived  
and sent to the DSF-L. Anyway, enjoy. Again. : )  
  
Trouble And The Riv  
Number Two in The Trio Series  
  
SmileyFace  
  
Email:  
  
Flames will be used for toasting marshmallows, otters will given to my  
friends as Christmas presents. Nice comments will make me smile.  
  


______________________________________  


 

"Benny, we're in trouble."

"In what sense?"

"Fraser, the Riv has a flat, I don't have a spare, and it's about  
to pour in any minute! Does that mean ANYTHING to you?"

"Ray, calm down. I'm sure some foot patrol will come by on our unhappy  
situation!"

"On the middle of a dirt road?"

"Yeah, Benny! On the middle of a dirt road in Illinois, USA? Has  
it ever occurred to you that your now in the States? We don't have foot  
patrols down here, Fraser!"

"Well, as I recall, you do have ---"

"Shut up!"

"Understood, Ray."

Ray Vecchio slumped on the steering wheel of his 1971 green Buick Riviera.  
Meg Thatcher sighed in the passenger's seat next to him as she stared  
out the window. Benton Fraser closed his eyes in the back seat and tried  
to think of a plan, while his wolf, Diefenbaker, slept next to him, as  
if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Well, we could always walk," Fraser suggested. Meg raised  
her eyebrows, and Ray turned to his friend.

"Thirty miles, Fraser? Thirty miles of road and no shelter within  
that range? And besides, I'm NOT leaving the Riv. You can go. I'll rot  
here first," Ray answered, tapping his fingers against the smooth  
wheel cover. "Wish we never took the back route!" he added  
mostly to himself. Meg ran her hand through her silky hair.

"Why are we here again, Ray?" she asked, a bit annoyed that  
she had come along. Then again, she didn't have a choice.

"Remember? We had to go to this 'official meeting' Agent Ford wanted  
us to attend because of the bank robbery," Ray reminded. Meg sighed.

"Ah, yes. The wonderful Ford," she said under her breath. Agent  
Ford had moved his office 30 miles away from Chicago. Fraser shifted  
in the back seat. Meg looked back at him. "Do you want to switch?  
I'm a bit smaller, and you look kinda..." She searched for the right  
word, "...cramped."

"As long as you don't mind Diefenbaker, Ma'am."

"Nah. As long as he doesn't mind me." She smiled kindly at  
the wolf, who moved over when his master shifted again. Meg opened her  
door and looked up to the sky, which was turning blacker by the minute.  
Fraser got out, and she climbed back in the car, letting him sit in the  
front seat. Ray didn't move through it all. He just sat in thought.

"It's gonna pour any minute--" Meg started. Just as Fraser  
shut the door, it started raining in blinding sheets of grayish white.  
"--now," she finished. Ray frowned.

"This is great. I bet no one bought anything from the vender while  
we were at the gas station!" Ray exclaimed. Meg bit her bottom lip.  
How long were they to go without food? How long would the storm last?

"I didn't think of it, Ray," Fraser said. He rubbed his temple  
with his left hand. He pulled his leather coat around his shoulders tightly.  
Ford had told them all to dress, "casual" and that's what they  
did. Meg had a sweater on with a pair of light blue jeans, and Fraser  
had a light blue collar-less shirt with a dark pair of jeans, and Ray?  
Well, Ray was just Ray. His normal, flashy clothes that were Armani brand.

Fraser looked out the window. "The rain's so thick, you can't even  
barely see outside the windows!" Meg exclaimed softly. She shivered  
a little. The air was turning cooler as the rain got thicker. Dief rested  
his furry head on her leg. She patted the wolf on his head, and hugged  
her shoulders to try to warm up. There was no heat in the Riv, since  
Ray hadn't brought it to the repair man when the heating "died"  
a week ago. Fraser looked back at Meg.

"Are you cold?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she replied, immediately letting go  
of her shoulders. Fraser nodded his head, and turned back around. She  
didn't want him to know. *Why, I don't even know,* she thought to herself.  
She studied the window again.

Ray leaned his head on the cool glass of his window. He shut his eyes  
for a minute. *When I'm with Benny, things always go wrong. But now that  
there's two Mounties in my car, it's double trouble!* Ray thought, fixing  
his position of his head against the glass.

Fraser studied his window as well. He sighed as the thunder and lightning  
struck a near by field. Meg shivered once more, not from the cold, but  
from a thought that popped into her mind. *What if that was us? Is that  
going to be us?* The vibration rattled the car like a child's toy on  
a shaking table. All three felt themselves shake as the thunder crashed  
in the distance.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Where is Raymond? He was suppose to be home hours ago, and look  
at this storm! My poor Ray!" Mrs. Vecchio cried, hugging herself  
inside her house.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ray was fast asleep, with Fraser taking watch to see if anyone would  
stop to help them, but the two Mounties knew Ray wouldn't leave his Riv  
to die out in a storm like this. Fraser thought as he stared out the  
window. *Are we safer in the car then outside? Of course! Right?*

He turned to the back where Dief and Meg were. Dief was still sound asleep,  
resting his head on Meg's thigh, while she was hugging herself, again,  
from the cold. It had grown colder in the two hours they spent in it.  
Fraser looked at her. She was staring out the window, silently praying  
to herself someone would come, which seemed highly unlikely. Fraser touched  
her cheek. She spun around, waking Dief up, who groaned and fell back  
to sleep.

Meg looked surprised. "Fraser, I ---"

"Shh. Hush and take this," Fraser whispered, handing her his  
leather coat. She looked startled.

"But I---"

"Take it," he repeated, placing the coat in her arms. It was  
warm from his body heat when he wore it.

"Thank you," she whispered back, searching his blue eyes. He  
smiled warmly, and turned back to the front window to keep watch. Thatcher  
wrapped the coat around her body. It was at least two sizes bigger then  
her, but she snuggled in it, warming her cold body with its heat. She  
laid her head on the Riv's back seat chair and fell asleep while the  
rain poured down on to the car.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Agent Ford."

"Yes," Mrs. Vecchio said on the phone. "Could you tell  
me where Raymond Vecchio is?"

"He left about a couple hours ago. Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Thank you." Mrs. Vecchio hung up her phone,  
and sobbed. Afterwards, she wiped away her tears and called the Precinct.

"Welsh."

"Is Raymond there, Lieutenant?"

"Sorry, Ma'am, but him and two other Mounties, Fraser and Thatcher,  
went to Portham Station for a business meeting at about 12pm. Why?"

"No reason. Thank you." Again, Mrs. Vecchio hung up the phone  
and grieved. Not only for her son, but for the two other people with  
him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Anything, Fraser?" Meg asked quietly. Fraser shook his head.

"Not even an emergency vehicle," he replied. Fraser knew how  
she felt. Very sick. The only thing he didn't know was whether it was  
from hunger or fear. *Probably both,* he thought. She sighed, and stroked  
Dief's fur. There was nothing they could do but wait and pray.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Vecchio's mother called a half hour ago, Detective Gardino. I want  
you to make sure you keep an eye out for him and the Mounties. They'll  
die in this storm," Welsh ordered. Louie nodded. "Good. You  
and Huey go and find them," he added. As the two detectives left,  
Welsh said in a larger note to the other officers, "Let's hope they're  
alive."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ray, still sound asleep, tossed his head to the left from its right angle.  
Fraser kept his eyes open, refusing to let Meg take watch. She was too  
tired to even argue. She would nod, then fall back to sleep, which was  
anything but peaceful. Thunder and lightning would crash in the distance,  
shaking the green Riv back and forth, sending all its passengers forward  
a few inches or more.

The rain continued to pour down on top of the car, like a shower head  
on a bath tub toy. Except, even through all the rain, it didn't sink  
like a toy would. It would shake, but it didn't leak. And hopefully it  
wouldn't.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Jack, how are we going to find the three cops in this weather?"  
Louie asked Huey as he drove inside a police van.

"We'll take the route to Portham Station. They have to be somewhere  
on it." Huey answered.

"Jack, there's at least 10 ways to get there! How do we know which  
route Vecchio took, huh?" Louie asked. Huey shrugged and answered:

"I guess that's why Welsh sent us out here, Louis."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Strong winds beat on the car, swerving it back and forth. Meg woke suddenly,  
seeing Fraser still awake, watching for a sign of a car. She touched  
him on the shoulder.

"I can watch, you know. I promise if I see anything I'll let you  
know," she said gently, hoping he would agree. "I've had a  
few hours of sleep. You haven't had any."

He smiled at her, and touched her cheek. "Thank you." That's  
all he said, but his kiss said even more. The two kissed, not knowing  
if it would be their last. Fraser broke away, and kissed her cheek.

"Anything," he said. She nodded, and stared out the front window,  
and prayed someone would come for the them.

A bit later, she felt herself shake a bit and Fraser felt it too.

"What was that?" he asked sleepily. He'd slept for about 15  
minutes, but to him, it felt good.

"I have no idea!" Ray said, waking up after the shake. Dief  
groaned and fell back to sleep, but woke when a huge bolt of lighting  
crashed in the distance.

All three looked outside the front window. Meg gasped.

"Oh my god!" she cried. Fraser looked at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Tornado," she whispered, pointing to a large twister that  
was headed straight for the Trio.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

All three fixed their eyes on the twister that bounded swiftly toward  
the Riv. Fraser's blue eyes widened.

"What are we going to do?" Thatcher asked quietly.

"Out run it," Fraser replied. Ray glared at his friend.

"Benny, this isn't Hollywood! It isn't fake!" Ray reminded.

"We can make it, Ray. We'll head North, then cut it off by changing  
West...where it's coming from. We have to! There's no other choice!"  
Fraser replied. "And you'll have to leave the Riv," he added  
softly. Ray's eyes widened.

"But ---"

"You have no choice!" Meg exclaimed. "We have no choice!"  
Ray stared at the twister. He thought for a few seconds.

"All right. Let's get the hell outta here before we're all experts  
in the movie Twister!" he shouted, opening the door. Thatcher stopped.

"What about Dief?" she asked. Fraser called his wolf.

"He runs faster then you think," he replied smiling at Meg.

"We've got to find something deep and sturdy into the ground, and  
tie ourselves to it," she decided.

Fraser pulled them both. "Come on! We have to move. And your right,  
Ma'am," he said. The three ran down the opposite direction they  
had come. The rain beat down on them harshly as they pushed against the  
strong winds from the West. All three held on to each other's arm, with  
Meg in the middle. Dief ran behind. Occasionally, Fraser would check  
the status of the twister, and pull them faster.

Meg spotted an old house. "Over here!" she shouted. "Maybe  
they have a underground place we can hide!" The trio made their  
way over to the house, but Fraser was pulled from the two others by the  
strong winds, and thrown to the ground, hard. "Fraser!" Meg  
screamed, letting go of Ray. She rushed to his side, and so did Ray.  
Fraser was still awake, and he looked into Meg's hazel eyes.

"We've got to...go...we've...no you've...got to...leave...me,"  
he stuttered. Meg helped Ray stand him up. Blood dripped down the side  
of his head.

"Nonsense, Fraser. Your coming with us whether you like it or not,"  
she ordered. Ray slung him over his back.

"It's easier this way, Inspector," he said, carrying him to  
the old house. Dief barked at a basement entrance. Meg smiled, and opened  
the door for Ray, who climbed down with Fraser slung on his back. He  
laid him down, and helped Meg with the door. When they closed it, they  
heard the twister rolling closer and closer and closer to them. It was  
like the movie Twister, but in real life. Meg bent down next to Fraser's  
side, and wiped the blood with her shirt. He winced in pain at her touch.  
He kissed her hand.

"I'll make it for you," he whispered in her ear. She shook  
her head.

"No...make it for us," she corrected.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"My God, Jack! Look at that tornado!" Louie exclaimed.

"I know, Louis. And that's where we're headed," Huey replied.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ray sighed. *I hope Ma's ok...everyone,* he thought to himself. Meg rose  
next to him, away from the door. "He's gonna make it, right?"  
Ray asked.

"I don't know, Ray," Meg replied. "His wound is pretty  
bad." She stared at the door. "Do you think anyone will come  
for us?" she asked.

"I hope so, Inspector," Ray answered. Dief moaned. "What?  
Oh, they'll come for you too." Ray added. Meg smiled, for the first  
time out of that day.  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Huey and Louie drove in the storm. "It's breaking up, Jack!"  
Louie exclaimed like a little kid. Huey smiled.

"Yep. And there's the Riviera...still in tack." Huey pointed  
to Ray's car. "Won't Vecchio be happy...wherever he went,"  
he said, seeing no passengers inside the vehicle.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"It stopped. It stopped," Ray announced. A smile spread on  
his face. Meg smiled too. Fraser stood with them, waking up from Ray's  
excited voice, and the noiseless environment above them.

"Yes it did, Ray. Yes it did," Fraser replied. Meg threw her  
arms around Fraser. Fraser gripped her waist as Ray opened the doors.  
The air was a bit dusty, but the rain stopped, and the tornado gone.  
All four climbed out and stood on the ground. They looked around until  
their eyes fell on Huey and Louie. All four, even Fraser with his wound,  
ran over to them.

"It's about time, Vecchio," Huey said. Louie laughed. Fraser  
pulled Meg over behind the car.

"We never finished our kiss," he said with a smile, and bent  
down to her lips. They both heard Ray exclaim:

"No one's gonna believe it! It was the wildest thing that ever happened!  
It was like being trapped behind the movie screen of Twister! It was  
most coolest phenomenon I've ever seen! It was so awesome! Although I'm  
*never* taking this route again!"

 

 

fin.  



End file.
